


Talk About Awkward

by rebelling_against_a_rebellion



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi needs sleep, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous Relationships, Awkwardness, Developing Friendships, Gen, Public Transportation, akira being oblivious af, just lemme have a moment where akira is a big dumb okay?, morgana being smug af
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25534099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelling_against_a_rebellion/pseuds/rebelling_against_a_rebellion
Summary: While taking the train to get to Shujin one day, Akira finds Akechi in a vulnerable position in public. It exposed not only the lack of proper sleep the detective had been getting, but also revealed a shared connection that Akira understood all too well himself.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro & Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 4
Kudos: 97





	Talk About Awkward

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fic that I wrote a rough draft in my personal notebook one time at work, so I just cleaned it up and here it is. Hope you enjoy it!

Akira stepped out of the train at Shibuya station to make his transfer to Shujin Academy. His left shoulder was getting used to carrying cat Morgana in his school bag in addition to the textbooks, homework, and lunch that he brought with him. Now, if only Morgana could stop fidgeting around his bag making it harder to carry as he had to readjust the thing on his shoulder every few seconds. The poor thing had been complaining about how hot his bag had been getting over the past few days considering the humidity of late June. Picking up one of those handheld fans so that Morgana could cool down in his bag wouldn't be such a bad idea. He sure could use one himself since he was also sweating a little under his summer uniform.

"Good morning!"

His heart leapt up into his throat at the voice behind him. He spun on his heel to the source causing the bag on his shoulder to smack its weight against his upper back.

"Yeowch!" Morgana's pained cry muffled inside the bag.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you, Akira-san."

"Oh," Akira answered dryly as he recognized who it was. "It's you."

It was Goro Akechi. The detective prince who was less than approving of the Phantom Thieves. Akira clenched his jaw and straightened up his school uniform as he tried to not acknowledge the fact that he just got scared by Akechi. He wasn't that intimidating, but with how formal he was despite talking to someone his age, it wasn't a stretch to say that his behavior was something that Akira still had a hard time getting used to.

"What was that sound before?" Akechi's round, auburn eyes scanned the area behind Akira, craning his neck to look further down the train platform. "Is there a stray cat around here?"

Akira's bag shuffled against his back. Akira thought quickly. There was his phone in his back pocket.

"No, actually," Akira swiftly pulled out his phone. "It's my text tone for the next few days. I, uh, lost a bet with some of my friends, so now using this meowing text tone is my punishment."

Akechi tilted his head, tapping those black gloved fingertips against his chin. Did he really feel need to endure wearing those gloves in this weather just to be sure his pristine detective getup didn't look off or something?

"That's quite the peculiar punishment," Goro said.

Akira took this chance to turn his focus towards his phone in hopes that Akechi would take the hint and leave him be. It's not that Akira really hates the guy, at least, not as much as he did when he first met him. Yeah, he still gets annoyed that Akechi's been going against the Phantom Thieves, but that's something that he's grown to deal with from the detective at this point.

In fact, Akira's been finding their strange friendship sort of amusing in its irony. Little did this detective know that he ended up starting a rather unusual friendship with Akira, the leader of the Phantom Thieves. He's hung out with him a few times, and at Akechi's invitation no less, from billiards to a cafe, and even a hole in the wall jazz club. In truth, he wasn't that bad to be around.

At the same time, there was something about Akechi that Akira couldn't quite place. Perhaps he was just overthinking things. After all, it's strange that Akira was the one person that Akechi, the detective with celebrity status and many adoring fans, could consider to be a friend. Learning that Akechi didn't really have friends his age hit Akira close to home because when his case was being processed, the people in his hometown that used to be his friends straight up abandoned him, no longer wanting to be associated with a criminal. The empty hole left behind in his chest was a pain that he could sympathize with and recognize in Akechi, even with how Akechi brushed it off as if the loneliness wasn't that big a deal.

Still, he did notice how Morgana's been growing a bit more frustrated with Akira's visits with Akechi recently. It was as if Morgana knew something about Akechi that he didn't, something that was apparently supposed to be obvious to him. Perhaps Morgana thought he was being too nice to him? Fine then. Instead of trying to strike up a conversation with Akechi, he tried to play on his phone to distract himself.

A cool breeze from the incoming train ruffled the hairs in front of Akira's glasses and brought some much desired relief from the thick, muggy air. After double-checking that this was indeed his train, he merged in with the rest of the commuters, his only focus being on the open train doors through the sea of heads. He stepped into the train car, one that's already quite packed, and stood in an open corner by a set of doors with windows. He turned his head to see the train doors close just as Akechi managed to squeeze into the car in time.

Wouldn't you know it, the only space left for the young detective to squeeze into was in the open spot right in front of Akira. Some people in the car shuffled out of the way for Akechi to squeeze by and stand right in front of him. He was getting so frustrated at this point that he didn't care how inconsiderate he looked by not putting his school bag in front of his chest down on the floor to give Akechi more room to breathe. Akira was going to cling onto this bag in front of him as a life vest, a barrier to keep the detective as far away from him as he could.

"Why are you following me?" Akira groaned making no effort to hide his annoyance.

Akechi seemed to be taken aback by Akira's tone. "I'm not. This train is my connection to where I work," Akechi explained. "It's just that I usually don't end up in the same train car as you as I didn't want to distract you from getting to school."

"Speaking of which, what about _your_ schooling?" Akira asked as he stared out of the window to his right. He was genuinely curious how he was even able to get through high school considering his job as a detective in addition to his television appearances.

Akechi answered with his usual bright tone honed by many public interactions. "Don't worry about that. There's been an arranged scheduling agreement between my work superiors and my school so that neither one will interfere schedule-wise. It does make things a bit tight though, so I haven't been able to hang out socially with others outside of work that much."

"Aside from me, apparently," Akira commented with a confused look.

Goro broke the brief moment of eye contact and fiddled with his dress shirt collar. "It just so happens that our schedules line up."

Akira nodded, not knowing how true that was, before turning his attention back to the window beside him. He zoned out for several minutes letting the metal towers of Tokyo whiz by in a blur, his eyes glazing over.

Morgana's padded cat paw quickly poked his chin. Looking down into the open hole in his bag, Morgana's unnatural blue eyes somehow maintained a strong glow, even while fully hidden inside the bag.

"Hey, it's almost our stop, right? You looked like you were about to fall asleep!" Morgana gave him a scolding look.

Akira squinted at the cat. "I don't wanna hear it," he grumbled through gritted teeth.

So what if he managed to sneak up in the middle of the night to make a few extra lockpicks? They needed them for Kaneshiro's palace later anyway. Akira knew that Morgana's insistence on a good sleep schedule came from a good place for the sake of his own health, but it still annoyed him at the best of times. He just had so much to do and so little time to do it.

Akira adjusted the bag onto his shoulder now that there's a bit more room in the train car. Just a few more moments until Akira reached his station to get to Shujin. He was about to make his way over to the train doors only to stop when he noticed Akechi.

At some point, still standing up, albeit leaning against a wall beside the door, he was half asleep. The teenager looked near the brink of exhaustion the more that Akira looked at him. The creases around his eyes etched a little deeper into his skin with a darkness under his eyes that Akira hadn't noticed before. His half-lidded eyes blinked with a level of forced concentration, his round auburn eyes dull in shade. He was pretty sure that Akechi didn't look this exhausted during the first time he met him at the TV station a few weeks ago.

Akira hated to admit it to himelf, but he's not as invincible a leader as he makes himself out to be. With everything he's got on his plate, there were times where he struggled to stay awake during class or forgot to pick up some items they needed for infiltration missions. Doing all sorts of things to prepare for infiltrations, Mementos explorations, trying to not arouse suspicions of him being a Phantom Thief, and all while leading a normal looking life with school and part-time work to not break his probation rules. It's been starting to get to him.

He didn't pretend to know what Akechi's work entailed, but even with his limited knowledge of Akechi's detective work while balancing public appearances and keeping up with school, he knew that the brunette had to be constantly occupied with something to do. Akira began to see himself in him. Except, unlike Akira who had friends that checked in on whether he was alright or Morgana being an at times annoying cat with good intentions, he got the feeling that Akechi didn't have anyone that checked in on his well being.

Akira clenched his bag straps as the train pulled into the station. The train doors open. Akira didn't move.

 _I'm gonna hate myself for this._

Akira turned away from the open door, walked over to Akechi, and poked his shoulder.

"What?" Akechi jerked awake.

"Which one is your stop?" Akira asked. Akechi's bleary eyes peeked at the transit map above their heads.

"Four more stops?"

Akira hurried to a pair of open seats before someone else could get them. He sat himself down on one seat while plopping his school bag on the other seat. Morgana yelped in confusion, but Akira ignored him as he pointed to the saved spot.

"Sit here and nap. I'll wake you at your next stop."

"But, isn't this your stop-?"

"Don't you have a job to focus on? Investigating the mental shutdowns? The Phantom Thieves? You need some rest," Akira said.

A bell tone rang overhead and the train doors closed, the train slowly drifting away from Aoyama-Itchome station. Without looking at the bag, Akira could practically feel Morgana's eyes staring daggers into the side of his head. No doubt he's upset at the irony of Akira parroting back Morgana's advice while completely ignoring them himself at times. He'll deal with the cat's angry jabs later once this is done. Akechi hesitated before carefully pushing past the crowd with a few 'excuse me's.' Akira placed his school bag on his lap allowing Akechi to sit beside him.

Akira forced his attention to the rail map above the door to keep track of where they were while keeping an ear open for each railway announcement per stop. He did anything he could to keep from thinking about the guy he let nap next to him. Akira knew that something was off about him, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly. He shook his head, reminding himself to not get too caught up in thinking about him. He couldn't let this detective mess with him despite their growing bond, as strange as it was. One slip up and the Phantom Thieves would be discovered.

They were approaching Akechi's stop in a few moments, so he turned to wake Akechi up. He paused when he felt a sudden pressure on his right shoulder. His flowing brown hair fell over half of his face as his head leaned against Akira's shoulder, his soft, even breaths audible in his ear. With his eyelids closed and his still lips, his face looked peaceful. It's odd to see him in such a natural looking state where he wasn't in front of cameras or ogling fans. For a brief moment, he didn't look polished or larger than life, but just as human as everyone else. He looked normal, just like any other high school student without the weight of his job on his shoulders.

"Hey!" A hushed hiss from Akira's bag jolted him back to his senses. He checked the windows. They were pulling into Akechi's station. He had to act now.

"Hey, Akechi-san. Wake up," Akira said as he squirmed out of the seat while shaking Akechi's shoulder. He blearily blinked before his eyes regained alertness. He shot up out of his seat and tried to compose himself by adjusting his clothes and fixing his hair. Akechi froze as he stood with one gloved hand stopped partway through his brown hair. A light redness bloomed onto his cheeks as his eyes widened with delayed realization.

"Oh no. I fell asleep on your shoulder."

"Yeah." Akira's response was stiff and blunt. Akira's jaw clenched as he felt his own cheeks heat up.

"Oh, I-I'm so sorry! I didn't realize how tired I really was," The hand still in his hair was shoved into his coat pocket while his other hand held his briefcase.

"Whatever. Your stop's here. Now go." Akira squeezed through the crowd the moment the train doors opened. He separated from the stream of commuters to the other side of the platform to await the train going back towards Shujin.

"Hey, Akira-san?" Akechi called out to him from behind.

"What? Shouldn't you be going?" Akira pointed to the thinning crowds as they filed up stairs and escalators where he assumed Akechi would be going up.

"Well...I really do apologize for my less than proper decorum. But also, I want to properly thank you. Really," His feet shifted. "To be honest, I've had some late nights at work lately. Mainly in regards to the Phantom Thieves case."

A pause as Akechi opened his mouth to say something else, but apparently decided against it. Akechi gave Akira a small smile, the most genuine one that he'd seen on him. Akira felt a smile of his own form on his face despite himself.

"Hey, we better both get going," Akira turned back to face the tracks as the breeze from an incoming train blew cool against his face and ruffled his black curls.

"Yes, especially for you," Akechi said with a laugh. Akira side-eyed him, the young teenager's hair billowing in the breeze.

"No thanks to you. Still, I think I can make it if I run fast enough," The train stopped at the platform as the last of the wind died down.

"Have a good day, Akira-san," Akechi waved him goodbye and ran up the stairs disappearing into the crowd.

"You too!" Akira called back before hopping onto the crowded train and managing to find himself a seat.

Akira unzipped the bag slightly to check in on Morgana. He was expecting to be berated for making them late for school, but Morgana was quiet, his ears flicked. It was something Morgana did whenever he was thinking hard about something.

Morgana's voice whispered. "Interesting. Even when it's obvious that he hates the Phantom Thieves, you decided to help him out."

Akira pulled out his cell phone which he placed on his ear to make him look normal and not like some crazy person talking into the bag on his lap.

"I can't be too suspicious by being rude to him all the time," Akira whispered back.

"Even when we're suspicious of him?" Morgana asked. Akira leaned back into his seat to contemplate what Morgana could be referring to. A flash of memory became unclouded in his mind when he realized something like a sack of bricks landing on his head.

"Pancakes," Akira whispered. "Akechi heard you talk."

Morgana smacked his paw against his furry face. "You seriously _just_ noticed that?! Even Ryuji managed to figure that out! Is that detective really distracting you?"

"N-No!"

"Anyways, we know one thing for sure: Akechi has been to the Metaverse before. We need to be cautious around him, especially you. I know I said that getting up all close and personal with him could help us should his insider knowledge be useful, but that'll all be useless if you do nothing but get all googly-eyed over him like one of his adoring fans!"

"N-no! That's not what it is!" Akira yelled, his face heating up again. "I could just pretend I don't know what he's talking about if he says anything suspicious."

"I don't know about that," Morgana said. "Akechi does seem quite clever, so I wouldn't put it past him if he figured out that you are a Phantom Thief already."

That's it. The next time that's Akechi invites him out to do something, he's gonna have to heighten his guard around him. Still, that wasn't going to be easy with how damn charismatic the guy was. Perhaps that was it. If Morgana was right about Akechi already knowing the truth about who he was, then maybe all of these times where they were hanging out together were just a sneaky way to get information out of him!

Maybe he really _was_ stupider than he thought. Something about that detective's charm made him completely miss a clue that should've been obvious to him from the start. A twinge of betrayal festered in his chest.

They made it to Aoyama Itchome station. He flew out the doors the moment they opened, praying that he'll make it to school on time.

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme enjoy my headcanon of an initially oblivious Akira being a helpful dork, alright?


End file.
